MILLIONS of busy wives will not believe it as they tackle the chores today, but men claim to be more house proud than women.

Whether it is cleaning, dusting, ironing or doing the washing up, husbands and boyfriends are the ones likely to leap into action.

While frazzled wives, girlfriends and mothers may be doubtful, a survey has found that two-thirds of men now claim to spend at least eight hours a week on housework, compared with 62 per cent of women.

The research also reveals that a third of us can spend up to 30 hours a week on keeping our homes spick and span.

Back in 1965 housewives regularly did 30 hours of chores a week, while men did a mere 4d hours. However, all that appears to have changed as women pursue jobs outside the home amid a blurring of traditional gender roles.

Benjamin Leyne, of domestic services website YoupiJob.co.uk which commissioned the poll, said: “Men are now ­taking on a lead role with the upkeep of the home, but at a cost to other areas of our lives.

Men are now ­taking on a lead role with the upkeep of the home

“It’s becoming an increasing struggle to juggle working hours with household responsibilities and still have time for a social life.

“The research reveals 37 per cent of us have eight hours or less free time each week, which makes it near impossible to fit in hobbies such as going to the gym, playing golf or even seeing friends, into our packed schedule.”

And it is not just the golf swing that is suffering. Separate research recently found that men who helped around the home had worse sex lives than those who stuck to conventional “manly” activities such as DIY, gardening and fixing the car.

Study chief Dr Sabino ­Kornrich, of the Juan March Institute in Madrid, said: “Couples in which men participate more in housework typically done by women report having sex less ­frequently. Similarly, couples in which men ­participate more in traditionally masculine tasks – such as DIY and fixing the car – report higher sexual frequency.”